APD Communications

Aug 3, 2023

Australian comms giant swoops for Hull team behind NEC's emergency control room tech in £17m deal Codan has bought what was APD Communications from NEC as it looks to bolster global reach of a recent US buy-out 14:36, 3 AUG 2023 Technology developed in Hull in use in a control room environment. (Image: APD Communications) Sign up to FREE email alerts from BusinessLive - Yorkshire & Humber - a daily bulletin of the stories you need to see from around the region More Newsletters Subscribe Invalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! Group 28 Sign up to FREE email alerts from BusinessLive - Yorkshire & Humber - a daily bulletin of the stories you need to see from around the region Invalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up × A Hull software company bought by Japanese giant NEC four years ago has been snapped up by an Australian communications specialist in a £17 million deal. Eagle, as it is now known, focuses on control room solutions for emergency services and bustling transport hubs. It has been bought by Codan Communications, having been carved out from NEC’s UK operations. Launched as APD Communications by two academics from the University of Hull more than 30 years ago, the mission critical systems provider had been absorbed into the tech firm following the January 2019 deal. It included elements of fellow NEC firm Northgate Public Services. Codan is a £225 million turnover Adelaide-headquartered business listed on the Australian Securities Exchange that has a significant global footprint in defence, humanitarian, peacekeeping and security markets. It recently bought Zetron Inc, a US-based control room software provider. Eagle will be integrated into that business in a move described by Codan’s chief financial officer Michael Barton as significantly strengthening its presence in the UK, while providing a platform to further expand Zetron’s business across Europe and the Middle East. He told how several solutions are highly complementary, while assuring staff and customers of a “seamless integration”. Zetron plans to maintain Eagle’s Hull base, with further investments mooted to grow its UK presence. Scott French, Zetron president and executive general manager, said: “This acquisition is an opportunity to bring together two companies with extraordinarily similar values and market pedigrees, each with unwavering commitments to innovation,service and customer choice. “The acquired technologies immediately widen our core capabilities and also provide new international growth opportunities across public safety and transportation. We are excited to welcome the Eagle team to Zetron and look forward to the expansion and continued development of our operational footprint in the UK.” The Old Town team is a supplier to the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network transition project, a critical communications platform set to enable fast, safe and secure voice, video and data transfer across the 4G network by first responders. It already supplies more than 100 emergency services and transport customers across the UK, Europe and Middle East, with more than two thirds of UK police forces and the likes of Dubai International Airport among its clients. Software platforms in use to aid blue light organisations. (Image: APD Communications / Meehan Media) Led by Mike Ishwerwood in the latter years of its time as an independent business, it enjoyed phenomenal growth, with a six year spell seeing revenues propelled by 223 per cent. Turnover hit £9 million with 170 people employed before NEC pounced. Latest revenues of £16.6 million have been flagged as the deal was announced to investors, a further 86 per cent uplift over the past four years. A £2.3 million spend to integrate the businesses over the next year has also been highlighted - a similar figure to the latest annual earnings. A transactional services agreement has also been instigated with NEC as the complex carve-out is completed. It will run for a minimum of six months, but could be expanded. RSM UK advised on the sale of the business. Steve Ainsworth, executive director for public safety at NEC, said: ‘We are grateful to RSM for their unwavering support throughout this entire process. Their global network and knowledge of the software market has allowed us to find a great home for our colleagues at Eagle. We couldn’t have achieved such a great result without them.” Clodagh Tunney, corporate finance partner at RSM UK, added: ‘We are delighted to have supported NEC on this transaction, which has brought together two closely aligned businesses, each with a strong reputation in the public safety and emergency response sector. It was a pleasure to work with NEC throughout the process and we are looking forward to seeing Eagle continue to fly under its new ownership.” DACB Beachcroft provided legal advice to NEC, which has gone on to acquire SSS Public Safety Ltd, a Wiltshire-based software and services profiver to law enforcement organisations, specialising in forensic investigations, traffic enforcement and biometrics. Story Saved You can find this story in   My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BusinessLive